Apparatus for reducing hydrostatic pressure in service stand-pipes.



Nou 783,829. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. H. L. GOODWIN.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING HYDROSTATIG PRESSURE IN SERVICE STAND PIPES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1902.

3 SHEETS-$111513! 1.

jwgl No. 788,829. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. H, L. GOODWIN.

APPARATUS FOR REDUGING HYDROSTATIG PRESSURE IN SERVICE STAND PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 28 1902.

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No. 783,829. PATENTED FEB 28, 1905.

y H. L. GOODWIN. I APPARATUS'FOR REDUCING HYDROSTATIG PRES SURE IN SERVIGE STAND PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902.

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Patented February 28, 1905.

arrest writable.

HENRY L. GOODWlN, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE IN SERVICE STAND-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,829, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed March 28,1902. Serial No. 100,474.

.To all who/7t it Ill/(by concern:

Be it known that I, Hem-n L. Goonwm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, county of Union, and State of New J ersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Apparatus for Reducing Hydrostatic Pressure in Service Stand -Pipes, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication.

in water supply and distributing systems where stand-pipes or vertical piping of great height is used the hydrostatic pressure he comes so great that it is very desirable to reducc this pressure. In very high buildings the water-distributing system often comprises a reservoir upon the roof, with a main pipe extending downwardly therefrom to the lowest floor or cellar and a connected service-pipe extending upwardly from such low point to a point about half or two-thirds the height of the building, and this pipe is tapped at each floor by a local branch service pipe or pipes for supplying the Water to the desired points. The upper portion of the building, to which this service-pipe does not extend, is supplied by means of an auxiliary pipe, which extends down directly from the reservoir and is provided with branch service-pipes similar to the primary service-pipe. In such system the pressure of the water in the service-pipe is materially reduced by my present invention, which, briefly stated, consists in freely introducing air into the water in the system and retaining comparatively large quantities of such air in the body of water to displace the water, and thereby lighten the weight thereof and reduce the pressure accordii'rgly.

The invention further consists in trapping and thereby retaining the injected air in the body of water at different points throughout the system, all as hereinafter fully set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated types of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein" Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a building provided with my improved apparatus in which the water is shown as having the injected air distributed throughout the contained water, the apparatus being also shown in vertical central section. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, but with the air shown as accumulated in large bodies at various different points throughout the system, which condition occurs after a considerable time has elapsed without any water being drawn from the service-pipe. Fig. 3 is a modified form of apparatus which is shown in central vertical section.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference designate like parts throughout, 2 is an ordinary water tank or reservoir located upon the top of the buildii'ig, which is indicated at 3 and which hasa number of stories or floors i, the number heroin shown being twenty in order to indicate a very high building. A main pipe 5 extends from the reservoir 2 down wardly through the building to the lowest floor thereof and runs in a horizontal direction and connects with the lower end of the seWice-pipe 6, which extends vertically up through the building to a point about two-thirds of the way and is provided on each floor with service branch pipes 7, by means of which the main servicepipe is adapted to supply water at different points throughout the building. Hy reason of the service-pipe 6 extending but part way up the height of the building the pressure of the water is sonuiwhat reduced thereby; but at the same time the pressure in this servicepipe is so great as so prove a drawback in the use of the system, and leakage is caused by this excessive pressure.

By my invention 1 introduce air in large quantities into the body of the water as it enters the main pipe 5, and in the construction herewith shown this is accomplished by means of an air-pipeS,which passesdown through the reservoir 2 and enters an enlarged part 9 of the mainpipe and into which the water'is introduced from the reservoir 2 by a short section of pipe ll). As the waterflows from the tank through the pipe 10 into the enlarged part 9 a strong suction is produced, and the outer air is thus drawn 1n through the p1po8 and introduced into the body o'l'waterm large quantities. This operation occurs each time the water is drawn from the service-pipe 6, and as the water in the main pipe 5 is agitated each timethe water is taken from the servicepipe the air (indicated at 12) is distributed quite generally and somewhat uniformly throughout the body of water 11 in the main pipe 5, as indicated in Fig. 1. The presence of the air in large quantities throughout the body of water in the main pipe materially re- I duces the pressure of the water in such pipe owing to the air which displaces the water having less specific gravity or weight.

As it is not desirable to have the injected air pass beyond the main pipe and into the service-pipe 6, I provide at a convenient point an air-chamber 13, which is located at the lowest point in the pipe connections. As the Water charged with the air passes from the main pipe to the service-pipe the air readily finds its way into the air-chamber 13, where it is stored under pressure, which increases the longer the system is operated, and thus there is provided means for compressing air, and such compressed air may by taken from the compression-chamber by means of a tap 1 .1 and utilized as desired. This air-chamber is also provided with a safety-valve 15.

At a point just below the air-intake or suc tion device 8 I provide a U-trap 16, beyond which in the main pipe is arranged an outwardly-closing valve 17. At different points along the vertical stretch of the main pipe 5 I provide a laterally-extending U-trap 18 and provide each of the same with an outwardlyclosing valve 19. During the period when the water is taken quite frequently from the service-pipe 5, which usually occurs throughout the day, the constant agitation of the Water keeps the air quite generally distributed throughout the body of thesame, and under such condition valve 17 and likewise the valves 19 remain open. W" hen, however, there is a comparatively long period of time during which no water is drawn from the servicepipe--as, for instance, over night-the air in the main pipe, which is distributed quite generally throughout the same, then accumulates in large quantities at each valve in the pipe and closes the same, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Under this condition the bend 16 in the upper part of the main pipe is filled with water 11, while back of the valve 17 there is a large body of air 12, and between it and the next valve 18 is alarge quantity of water 11, while beyond the valve and filling the bend 18 is a quantity of air 12, and so on alternating throughout the main pipe. Thus the valves which close outwardly prevent the injected air from passing back into the reservoir.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a modification in Which the service-pipe 6 is carried up through the building to the same height as the water reservoir or tank 2 and is provided with a number of depending U traps or bends 20,

and the air-chamber 13 is dispensed with to permit the injected air with which the water of the main pipe is charged to pass, with the Water, into the service-pipe and beheld in the U-traps 20 in the service-pipe. In this construction the main pipe 5 is provided with U-traps 16 and 18 and valves 17 and 19, the same as in the other form, in order to prevent the injected air from passing back and into the reservoir. In this form the air accumulates at the valves in the main pipe the same as in the other form, and it also accumulates in the service-pipe at the high point of the vertical bends or traps 20. This volume of air in the body of water in the system materially reduces the weight or pressure of the water.

The upper portion of the structure (herewith shown in Figs. 1 and 2) and through which the service-pipe 6 does not extend is supplied by an auxiliary service-pipe 21, leading from the reservoir 2 and extending down through the building to about the point where the service-pipe 6 terminates. This auxiliary pipe is provided with ordinary taps 22 for supplying the water at the desired points.

My improvements are not necessarily limited to a system for distributing water through a building, as it may readily be applied to any water-distributing system in which vertical pipes are used and in which an excessive pressure is apt to occur. I wish to be understood as not limiting my invention to the precise forms of construction herein set forth, as various modifications may be made in the different parts thereof without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

IVhile I have shown the air as being introduced' into the system through a pipe connected with the atmosphere, it will of course be understood that any source of supply may be used. For instance, an ordinary air-pump may be used to supply the necessary air to the system for the purposes specified.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A water-supply system comprising the combination of a downwardly-extending main pipe and an upwardly-extending service-pipe connected therewith, means for freely introducing the outer air to the water in said system, and means for retaining quantities of said air in the body of water in said system, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A water-supply system comprising the combination of a downwardly-extending main pipe and an upwardly-extendingservice-pipe connected therewith, means for freely introducing the outer air to the water in said pipe system, the said pipe system being provided with airtraps for trapping and retaining quantities of the air in the body of water contained in said pipe system, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

IIOl

f}. A water-supply system comprising the combination of a downwardly-extending main pipe and an upwardly-extending service-pipe connected therewith, said main pipe being provided with means for freely introducing therein the outer air as the water is supplied thereto, and air-trapping means for preventing the air contained in the water in the main pipe from passing into said service-pipe, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A water-supply system comprising the combination of a downwardly-extending main pipe and an upwardly-extending service-pipe connected therewith, said main pipe being provided with means for freely introducing therein the outer air, air-trapping means for preventing the air contained in the water in the main pipe from passing into said servicepipe, and one or more air-traps located in the said main pipe for trapping; and holding the air in said main pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A water-supply system comprising the combination of a downwardly-extending main pipe, means "for introducing air into the water in the main pipe; an upwardly-extending service-pipe connected with said main pipe, and an air-chan1ber located in the connection between the said main pipe and the servicepipe for receiving the air contained in the water as it passes from the main to the service pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto set my hand in the presence olthe two subscrib ing witnesses.

HENRY L. GOODWlN.

W'itnesses:

WILLIs FOWLER, SAMUEL M. Unnsxnr. 

